Carnal
by Tsukiko hoshino
Summary: He's attracted to blood by nature and unfortunately for her the metaphorically bleeding heart she posses leads him straight to her. Unrelenting, she just can't seem to shake him loose, but then again, why ever would she want to when he makes being caught so captivating?
1. Good deeds

Disclaimer: Yes. Because if I owned Naruto, Itachi wouldn't be…dare I say it….dead. Twice now. FML. (once was bad enough…but twice? Overkill much?)

A/N: In light of that thing that happened to Itachi that I won't mention again…I'm here to fulfill all your fan girl desires. SWEAR TO ITACHI. Just be patient guys. I would like to start by justifying this Itachi's behavior. Given what we know about Itachi and how he's actually a good guy, I feel like he has two sides. The side he shows to people he cares about, which is devoted, loving and compassionate and the side he shows to others; cold, calculating, and cruel. I also feel that as an Uchiha, he's probably got a bit of an Ego.

So I hope you don't find him to horribly off the spot.

Also, M rated for a reason.

And **suggested reading in 3/4-1/2 **seriously, it looks tons better.

* * *

_**Carnal**  
By **Tsukiko Hoshino**_

_Love shrine break the taboo, I wanna know what's in your potion_

_Bound by total devotion  
I was lookin' for love all over, You're the hunter and I'm your prey_  
**_Voodoo_ **(_Adam Lambert_)

* * *

She was alone as usual, making her way home at nearly one in the morning. 'The sky's so dark tonight…' She thought to herself, cold fingers curling into the warmth of her coat pockets. Even the numerous lights of the city could not detract from the darkness of the horizon. It was a night without stars, the moon hardly shown through the thick clouds that gathered overhead. The weather was cold and it's no surprise that she can't help the chattering noise that her teeth make when they click together.

Exhaustion hangs heavily over her, beating out a tune on her whole body. Her head aches and her limbs feel near boneless from a long shift spent beating back death on behalf of the general populace. Not for the first time, she chastises herself for deciding to work at a hospital; there's no one to blame but herself after all. She's the one who wanted to be where the battle for life was truly waged.

Everyday people were rushed in on the verge of death; hardly clinging to the delicate strand called life, and Sakura relished each and every time she pulled them back. The fast paced city she lived in never slept, and the patients poured right on in leaving little time to laze about. In a way it's pushed her skills even further, which is saying something considering she's only 23 and already a doctor quickly climbing her way up to carve her own niche out into the field.

Sometimes when there's time she imagines herself a few years or so from now. She'll be somewhere far away from the crowded city where the street lights don't wash out the sky and she doesn't have to be careful every second of where she walks in fear of being stampeded. It'll be a nice quiet place where the thought of murderers running around is nothing but a paranoid dream.

It'll be a place where the Yakuza aren't renowned and feared, where people don't go missing and if they do no one turns a blind eye. Like a snake, a shudder makes its way down her spine. In the city that she lives now, unspoken as it is she knows that the gangs rule the streets. She sees the proof of it every day on the news, and on her operating table.

She's seen beaten women come through the door, clearly abused and treated unspeakable cruelly. Beaten children, men with gunshot wounds, people with missing limbs and unspeakable trauma…Sakura has seen it all, and has also seen the police meant to protect turn their eyes away knowingly.

The thought makes her stomach twist painfully, as she stares up at the street light just in front of her. 'The safest place is to walk in large crowds.' Sakura reminds herself, noticing the thinning throng of people. The canister in her right pocket is still cool against her skin despite the fact that she's been clenching it since stepping off the subway.

It's the same every night.

Pushing the grim thoughts away she focuses instead on the place she wishes she were. Of stars so bright they look like diamonds against black silk. Where the people she treats won't just be strangers, but people she sees around on a regular basis. 'It would be nice.' She thinks quietly, breath coming out in a soft white cloud. It's not that she didn't like working in the hospital, it's the city that eats away at her with its corrupt nature.

Turning down a dimly lit alley, she cursed herself for not shelling out the money to buy a car. It would have been much safer than walking alone every night, especially down the narrow alleys that lead to her apartment building. Even though it wasn't as safe as the crowded streets, she took them because they were faster; nearly a straight line and she'd be home within ten minutes rather than the 30 it would take to go the long way around.

Then again she hardly had money to spend on a car when the subways and her feet were all the cheaper.

The small shops she passed by were already closed now, with the exception of the small convenience store towards the very end. A few traditional styled lanterns lit the corridor up with a warm golden-red glow in the night; it made the alley seem so much safer. After seeing no one waiting in the dimly lit space she relaxed, running a hand through her hair.

'Empty.' Sakura thought in relief, scurrying towards the end. The end of the alley is well within sight; from there she'll take a left down an even smaller, narrower one that will let out right behind her apartment complex. The feeling of knowing she'll soon be safe and sound in her own home fills her with warmth and gives her legs strength to work that much harder to reach their destination.

Finally at the end of the alley and prepared to make her turn, she pauses just for a moment, holding back a sneeze. That's when she hears it, screaming to the right of her. Its high pitched, like that of a woman's.  
Shrill and horrific in its entirety, it leaves her teeth chattering from more than just the cold.

'_Just go home….forget about it.'_The most logical part of her being screams. It does nothing to keep her from creeping every closer to the danger. As smart as she is, as smart as she's had to be, Sakura has always been ruled by her heart. Years of city life have done nothing to temper steel around her heart.

Whether it was helping old women across the street even though she was late for work, or giving the homeless man everyone else ignored the spare change in her pocket she was always ruled by what she thought to be the morally right choice.

'And it's going to get me killed.' Sakura thought, crouching down low, fingers touching the ground to balance her weight against her heels. The can of pepper spray that had been in her pocket was now clenched tightly in her right fist.

Slowly, she slunk further into the backstreet, hiding behind trashcan after trashcan. It wouldn't do to just rush blindly in without even taking a look at the situation. Even though every scream she heard made her heart pound and her eyes sting Sakura bore it until she reached the last spot she had of cover, an abysmal pile of bricks for an unfinished project.

'Alright…now what?' The screaming had stopped, but the breathless little whimpers the woman was making were all the more terrifying in her opinion. At least if she were screaming Sakura would know that she still had strength left. Taking a deep, but quiet breath she steeled herself, before taking a quick look out of her little foxhole.

A girl with brown hair and eyes was pinned up against the dead end of the alley, double trails of black streak down her dirty face, mingling with the blood streaking down from a cut on her temple and the undoubtedly broken nose she's sporting. Even from the quick glimpse Sakura had taken, she could already see black bruises forming from her temple down to her bare shoulders.

'She's…' Sakura gulped crouching even lower as she averted her eyes. The girls clothes were half torn off, skirt hitched around her hips and if the way the man was moving against her is of any indication the situation its worse than she'd imagined.

But it's her eyes that she can't get out of her head, and Sakura is sure she'll never be able to forget them for as long as she lives. They lacked life, as though the soul had already fled far away leaving nothing but an empty doll behind to be played with.

With a soft 'Click' the assailant has flipped open a blade, and with a start, Sakura knows that if she does nothing now, there will be _nothing _she can do.

Maybe it was because it was so very close to her own home that made it all that much more personal. Maybe because she was seeing it occur with her own two eyes rather than just the after effects, but whatever it was Sakura knew she was going to put a stop to it.

Because she's a doctor and she's sworn, _sworn_, _**sworn**_with her whole life and her whole being to help those in need; because she's a fool and she can't turn her back on someone even if it means risking her own skin to do so.

Because she can't live waking up every day for the rest of her life regretting doing nothing, and going to bed every night plagued by what-ifs.

Because the girl in front of her is human, and hurting, and because it could have been her there instead, wishing and screaming for her life in the middle of the night only to be ignored and left to suffer.

'Even if it's dangerous…how can I turn away now?' Sakura thought grimly, green eyes narrowing in on the focal point of her fury. Quietly, she set her small canister of pepper spray down in favor of a nice hefty brick.

The rough texture of the stone is of a relief, because her palms are already sweating and it gives her that much more a grip for what she's about to do. 'Just one hit…one hit to the right spot and he's done for.' She thinks, brows furrowing in concentration.

It's unfortunate for him that she knows the spot just like she knows every bone in his body, or like she knows how much epinephrine to inject in case of cardiac arrest or anaphylactic shock. And sadly for him from where she's sitting she has a clear shot to it.

He's bigger and most likely stronger than her, so every move of hers will have to count all the more, and she has to be quick about. The girls condition is only going to deteriorate with time, and she'll be damned if she does nothing but watch.

If she misses, both the girl and herself are screwed. So with the pressure of two lives weighing down on her shoulders, Sakura takes careful aim, thankful that he's far to enraptured with his victim to pay any attention to what's going on directly behind him.

Winding back her arm and flinging it forward hardly takes any effort, and just as she predicted it hits the spot she'd been aiming for. With a jerk, his head flies forward and smacks against the wall as blood spurts out of his nose. Like a bag of sand dropping he hits the ground, leaving the girl he'd been grasping by the neck to drop to the ground.

No cries of pain or shock passed her abused lips; instead she continued staring into oblivion.

Quicker than she's ever moved in her life, She's hopped over the knocked out man and begun pressing small chilled hands against the woman's flesh, assessing damages as she goes.

'Shock maybe?' Sakura thinks to herself, pulling a penlight out to shine into glossy brown eyes. 'Uneven dilation, a concussion perhaps?' She thought, nibbling on her bottom lip. So enraptured with her task, she didn't spare a second thought to the man she'd fell moments before.

It proves to be undoing when she's ripped away by her hair and slammed face first into the concrete wall in front of her. A sharp cry of pain is all that's allowed for her as she's tossed to the ground unceremoniously.

"Fucking bitch!" The man spat, wiping blood from his nose as he spoke. "You just sit right there you curious little kitty cat…I'll deal with you next." Somehow, despite her spinning head she managed to shoot him a glare. He proceeded to rewarded her with a swift kick to the ribs that knocked the air out of her petite form. "Shoulda kept your nose outta shit." He snarled, turning away.

Curling in on herself from the pain, Sakura stifled a moan as she felt something warm and sticky slide down her face. 'Blood.' She thought fighting the urge to close her eyes. 'You need to get up…do something.' The urgency grew when she heard a soft '_Click'_as something unfolded. Rolling onto her stomach, she lifted her head just in time to see a switch blade cut a path through the woman's throat.

"Stop!" Sakura shrieked, frantically getting to her feet even as her knees shook. One hand grasping his wrist as s she barreled the rest of her body into his with all her strength. It was enough to send him sprawling to the ground, bumping his already sore head.

The sound of the knife clattering to the ground was so very loud in her ears Sakura swore it would ring on forever.

Vainly, she pressed her hands against the gaping flesh of the woman's neck, as if to scoop the life back in and stem its flow. 'Oh god, oh god.' Sakura repeated numbly, stripping her coat off with shaking hands. "It's going to be f-fine." She said shaking her own head wildly, as if refuting the very thought of anything else.

She was no stranger to death and she knew that the depth of the wound and the lack of medical equipment had already sealed the woman's fate. Even so, as fruitless as it was she still pressed the cloth of her coat against the wound, hoping to prolong the inevitable.

'How could I miss?' Sakura whimpered, biting back tears. She could feel the blood on her hands, so hot in the frigid air. Everything was her fault, if she had just been better, the woman in front of her wouldn't be bleeding out.

"God fucking damn it!" The man was already on his feet and in seconds he had her by the hair. "That's the last time you do that!"

"Stop it!" Sakura howled reaching blood covered hands back to gouge her nails into the skin of his wrist. "Let me go!" her efforts were rewarded when he threw her into a trashcan.

Bending down swiftly, he snatched up the blade and made his advance, staggering only slightly as he went, hand pressed to his aching head.

Green eyes hardened, as she watched him warily, pressing her back into the cold steel of the waste bin she waited. 'Fuck you.' She thought, biting her lip roughly as her hands shook. As soon as he was in reach she was going to tear him to pieces. If it was the last thing she did, she was going to have vengeance.

'Nobody deserves to die like that poor woman.' Sakura thought miserably, holding back a cry. For as long as she lived she would never forget her eyes. Even as she was bleeding out they remained empty. It filled her with fury that it was even possible to destroy someone so completely that they gave up on living before they were truly even dead.

So with that fire burning in her heart and in her veins she faced the situation at hand with calculation. Muscles coiled and ready to spring at any moment, she put everything into focus.

'One.' She thought to herself, as he took a step forward.

'Two…' Sakura took a breath, fingers curling into a fist.

Within the span of two moments everything was changed.

One minute she was fully prepared to make one last offensive attack by launching herself like rabid animal at his face and the next she had a grand view of someone's back. As if when she went to blink her eyes he had simply come into being.

He was like a crow; all pitch black and having swooped down from the sky, long legs bending just slightly as he landed. In her daze, she thinks of the edges of his long black coat as wings spreading out wide. 'Like a death god.' She thought tiredly, wondering if the girl just across from her had seen the same thing at the moment of her demise.

As though he sensed her grim thoughts, he tipped his head back just slightly to glance at her, a brief indescribably emotion flitting through his sleek eyes.

With long ebony hair gathered into a low pony tail, his features were perfectly sculpted and sinfully beautiful. Blessed with a sharp aristocratic nose and thick soot colored lashes covering eyes the color and luster of jet, every bit of him was suited for the night.

"Who the fuck are you?" were the rather eloquent last words of the man who'd been advancing on her, because as soon as he's spoken, he's been slammed against the dumpster with enough force to put a dent in its half inch thick structure.

'I didn't….I didn't even see him move.' She thought, eyes pinned to the new comer. Not only that but he hardly seemed as though he was having trouble pinning the much larger man with a single hand. 'And the force it took to do it…' she trailed off, stunned.

"Who I am doesn't matter to the likes of you…" The voice that flowed from his thin, well-shaped lips was low and breathy, the kind that made grown women weak in the knees. "It's useless to tell someone whose just going to die." He murmured, lips parting to reveal neat white teeth.

Teeth that made her shake miserably, because there, peaking almost mockingly from his mouth were two inhumanly long canine teeth pulled into sharp razor fine points.

'Like a…a vampire.' Sakura thought, green eyes widening even further as her mouth parted in shock. 'We should go, we should go right **now**.' There was nothing she could do for the woman anymore, and she didn't want to be here when the cops or something even worse showed up.

It didn't occur to her that _something_worse already had shown up.

As if he could sense her intentions, the mysterious man turned his head to look at her. "Stay." The command was uttered so very quietly. It was not to be defied, or ignored. She _would _stay or she would regret it. Just like that, the black of his eyes whirled away leaving bright pools of red in their wake.

The color was just like the blood staining her hands.

They glow though. So bright, it's as if someone has taken the light out of the red Chinese lantern she'd seen earlier and placed it in his eyes.

Stunned as she is, all Sakura can do is nod, mouth slightly agape.

If she had questions about his…state of being, they were quickly put to bed when he turned back to his prisoner with the languid roll of his pleased head. She can hear the crunching of the man's neck ten feet away as the dark haired stranger clamped down on it with his teeth.

Stupidly, Sakura thinks to herself on whether he's hit the external or internal jugular, and how long it takes for a vampire to drain their victim, and if she has time to run or not because apparently vampires _do_in fact exist and she's sitting on her half frozen ass not too far away from one and doing nothing.

'Haven't you done enough _**nothing**_for one night?' her subconscious screams, giving enough life back to her heavy limbs to get her off the ground. She gets one step in, before she's pressed back against the alley wall, two warm arms on either side of her.

Across the alleyway, the man's body dropped lifelessly to the floor. Hardly any mess is left behind, simply two neat pinpricks marking the placement of the other man's teeth. He is apparently a neat eater, because not even a drop of blood seeps from the wound.

'No, no, no, no!' Sakura screams inwardly, clenching her eyes shut. 'Oh fuck no…' She should have run when she had the chance, because now she's quite sure she'll be eaten. It's the hot swipe of something wet, starting from her jaw to her forehead that has her apple green eyes shooting open.

It's his tongue, stealing the blood that had been weeping from the cut on her left temple. Feeling horribly aghast at the liberties taken towards her person, she quickly pressed her hands against his chest. "Stop." She hissed both when her request was unheeded and when his tongue prodded the sore cut. The pain had her seeing stars and her knees shaking.

"hmm…" He murmured, a rumbling coming from his chest so strongly she could feel it working from her finger tips and up her arms. "You have a concussion." He stated further, cupping her chin and tipping her head back to stare into her eyes.

Much closer than he was before, she can see that his eyes are not just strangely colored, but formed as well. Rather than a single circular pupil the structure was more like a three bladed shiruken which- she noted through heavy lidded eyes, were spinning lazily. It was terribly fascinating.

The longer that she stared into them, the more it felt as though she was sinking into his eyes, losing thought. As if knowing her dilemma, for a moment they shuttered closed breaking the spell they'd been subtly weaving.

"You…What are you doing?" She gasped, feeling his tongue against her throat. It made her heart jump from more than just fear. 'Don't I already know? This is how I'm going to die.' She thought teeth clenching at the thought.

"Cleaning." He stated, red eyes glancing up at her. "Head wounds bleed quite a bit." He murmured, lips pressed to her collarbone. "There's a bit of a mess I'm afraid." She feels, rather than sees the quirking of his lips. It's a small thing but she knows he finds amusement in the situation and it makes her furious.

'This isn't a game! This is my life!' Sakura thinks desperately, teeth grit and eyes ablaze. Anger has always been her fueled her strength. It gives her the fuel to shove him away, even if it's only a few inches it's enough for her to slip under his arm and go running.

His eyes follow in a hunger undriven by his stomach. If she could only see herself, she would understand. Feral eyes and wild hair, she is a sight to behold. Despite the danger she has faced, and the danger he poses at the moment, she stands defiant to the end.

She's nearly to the end of the alley when like a wraith, he's on her again, arm around her waist like an iron band. "Stay away from me you-you vampire!" Sakura shrieked, jabbing a finger into his chest. If ever in her life Sakura had felt the onset of a panic attack, it would be now of all times.

"Vampire?" He questioned neither his features nor his manner betraying nothing and everything all at once, making him positively infuriating to look at. "What makes you say something like that?" He murmured, lips pressed to her ear.

"Don't play with me." Sakura stated firmly, tilting her chin defiantly. "What do you expect people to think when you go biting down on necks like that?" not to mention him licking her own blood away, but really she hardly had the mental fortitude to revisit that at the moment, so she continued quite fearlessly to her demand.

"Now if you're going to kill me do it, I've had a long night and I want to go home." Her patience is at its very end, and if she doesn't go home soon, she'll fall asleep where she stands. 'And wouldn't that be the icing on the cake?' She thought miserably.

"Foolish." He sighed, hot air ghosting over the shell of her ear and sending jolt of electricity through her limbs. "If I wanted you dead, you already would be." He reminded, thumb stroking the bottom of her rib cage. "Besides I just ate." He chided. If she only knew just how disgusting his last meal had tasted, she would surely be more appreciative of his intentions.  
Unfortunately telling her so would do more harm than good.

A pained sigh fluttered through her clenched teeth as his thumb brushed against a particularly pained spot. 'Gonna be sore as hell tomorrow.' She thinks shooting him a suspicious look, not quite assuaged by his words that she will in fact live to see tomorrow.

Red eyes narrowed just barely as he spun her away. Without words, he tugged the edge of her shirt up, Goosebumps rising against her skin from the chill. "Hey hey!" Sakura shouted, glaring furiously. "Pervert!" she would shout it to the heavens if she had too.

"Quiet." The nobleman's voice he used to command her earlier had returned. This time however she was not so easily quelled.

"You can't just take liberties with someone you don't even know the name of!" Sakura snapped lips pursing as she tried to tug her shirt back down.

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "Forgive me then, for not asking your name before I did anything untoward to your person. Might I have it now?"

"No." Sakura huffed, turning her nose up. 'Hah. As if I would fall for something so childish.' If she gave him her name he'd see it as permission to continue.

A sigh escaped him, as he tilted her head up to his. "Look." He purred, bent slightly so that he was nearly nose to nose with her. The effect was instantaneous as her green eyes jerked up to look into his nervously. He caught sight of her tongue swiping over pale pink lips nervously out of the corner of his eye. "Your name, give it to me." He murmured, head swaying slightly.

Her lips parted in a daze as she stared in rapid fascination at his eyes. It was just like being hypnotized. "Sakura." She whispered, feeling slightly feverish.

"Just Sakura?" He prodded gently, arching a dark brow.

Swallowing, she shook her head nervously, wondering how she could feel so warm when it was so cold outside. "Haruno Sakura." She clarified.

He laughs quietly; hardly audible to her human ears it's more like a quick huff of air. "You remind me of hanami." He murmured, lashes lowering over darkening eyes. She was Pink, green and just as sweet tasting as the confection.

"How original." Sakura huffed unimpressed, as if being compared to colorful dango was an everyday occurance.

"Like your name." He rebutted, twirling a strand of silky petal pink hair around his index finger. As uncreative as it was, it was simplistic and perfectly suited to her. "I assume it's natural." He could smell no chemicals relating to dye emanating from her.

Looking completely and utterly insulted she slapped his hand away. "Of course it is!" she growled, feeling further defeated and altogether strange when he sent her a smile so small she could hardly tell it was one her way.

"Of course." He repeated, capturing her hand in his much larger one. "Uchiha Itachi." He introduced, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. It was the polite thing to do after all. He could literally feel her pulse leap against his lips.

Not to be out done, she continued to appear outwardly unaffected. "Your parents named you after a weasel?" she remarked copying his tone concerning her own name from mere moments ago. "aren't they supposed to be bad omens?" she asked, voice saccharinely sweet.

"to some." Itachi assented, smirking. "You certainly have claws, don't you?" he'd seen the fight she put up before he'd interfered, it was that fire that had him so enraptured.

"Yes and if you're not careful, you'll get scratched." She fired back, eyes gleaming like the feral cat he was quickly coming to see inside her.

It amused and delighted him to no end that despite her fragile nature she had abandoned fear in light of trading barbs with him. It seemed as though she had even forgotten their rapidly cooling companions.

With introductions well out of the way he returned to his original intent, and tugged her cream colored blouse up. There imprinted on the left side of her rib cage is a rather impressive imprint of a size 11 shoe in varying shades of black blue and green. It was positively hideous. "hnn." He carefully pressed two fingers against her last rib, pressing along it to check for breaks before moving to the next.

"Stop!" Sakura struggled only briefly, because he sent her a curt gaze that had her freezing In place.

"Hush." He was doing for her own good, there was no need for her to become so riled.

It was strange how he could go from teasing to commanding in the span of mere moments.

Focusing on anything but the way his fingers feel against her, she wonders about if she was correct in her assumption or not. 'Vampires should be cold.' She muses, feeling the warm emanating from him. "oh!" The cry of pain escapes unbidden when he pressed a particular spot too hard for her liking.

"Nothing seems to be broken." Itachi stated, fingers lingering just under her bust. He can feel the pulsing of her heart like a drum. "You'll likely be sore for a few days…" although there were ways around that, ways that he would be perfectly content to indulge in.

"I could have told you that." Sakura remarked, clearing her throat as she removed his hand. "I…I'm going home now." She stated simply, feeling rather awkward for no reason at all. 'Actually there are plenty of reasons… none of which I would like to think about tonight.' She told herself firmly, rubbing the chilled flesh of her arms. "So uh…thanks for saving me."

She spared a glance back to the bodies, and flinched upon seeing the brunette. Those haunting eyes came back full force. 'I shouldn't have locked.'

"There was nothing you could do. She'd given up long before you came." Itachi stated, face impassive. "Even if she had lived, she never would have been the same."

"Who are you to say." Sakura frowned, eyes glinting like steel.

A strange look slunk through his eyes, as the light within them grew brighter, the crimson of his eyes becoming more vermillion than anything. "Someone very old Sakura-san." He chided, tugging her hair. " and therefore someone much wiser."

"Or so you say." Sakura rebuked, sparing them one last glance. "Perhaps I should call the police when I get back?" she asked, eyes tenebrous.

"No." Itachi stated, pulling a piece of lint off her blouse. "I will handle this." He stated. "If our kind left our messes out in the open as such, the world would be a much, much different place Sakura-san." He chided, lips lilting. "You look tired…Its time for all good girls to be in bed you know." It was with great regret that he had to send her off so soon. She was like a breath of fresh air as far as humans went.

'I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of humans with pink hair.' He mused, eyes sharpening in thought.

"So you admit to being a Vampire." Sakura arched a brow.

"I never said any such thing." Itachi replied succinctly. "Home. Now." He stated, pointing in the direction of her apartment.

Sakura shrugged it off as mere coincidence. "Thanks again." She murmured, eyes for once softening. 'Even if you probably are evil...you've been awfully kind.' With that, she leaned on tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Swallowing shakily and hoping he wouldn't tear her throat out with her back turned to him, she took off running.

A smirk crossed his face, as he turned his head slowly to watch her retreat. "If you do something like that…just how am I supposed to leave you alone?" he wondered almost silently, his quandary lost among his present company.

Pulling the red stained coat that was saturated with Sakura's scent from the female's body, by touch alone he silently lit it on fire. It wouldn't do for her to somehow be connected to the incident by law enforcement.

She'd foolishly involved herself enough as it was. He wondered if she hadn't heard the saying about cats and their curiosity often enough. Shaking the thought from his head, Itachi set himself to the situation at hand.

He finds no joy in the task, he would prefer it if he never had to take the lives of others to sustain his own. But it is necessary, and he'd lying if he said he felt too much guilt in the life he's taken tonight. It is regrettable that the woman lost her life as well however. There is nothing to be done however, and life most go on.

Soon the sun will rise, but before then he has much to do.

In the morning the news would have a fresh scoop of two bodies being dredged out of Tokyo's Sumida river, both throats cut nearly to the point of decapitation, one infinitely neater than the other.

* * *

And done.

For now...

I really want to write a Mada/Saku/ita…perhaps in a similar vein to this. Sheesh…I just can't help myself when it comes to supernatural/romance stories it seems. I just find them thriving with possibilities. While I wrote this, I watched dark shadows… "Most beautiful birthing hips I've ever laid eyes on." Has got to be the sexiest compliment a girls ever had Barnabas.

Now that I think about…Barnabas and Itachi are quite similar. Both devoted family men.

So if you, the dear reader perusing this should like to see it continue, please review~!

I was reaaaally nervous posting this…it's my first time writing Itachi *Puppy eyes* tell me how to improve, and I will reward it with fan service beyond your wildest dreams.


	2. Coincidences

Disclaimer: If I owned it, at this very moment, Naruto, Itachi and numerous other men would be duking it out for Sakura's hand in marriage.  
Is that happening?  
No?  
Hmph.

* * *

**Carnal**  
By **Tsukiko Hoshino**

* * *

_Crows bewail the dead sheep, and then eat them._  
_(__**Proverb, unknown**__)_

* * *

"What in hells name did I do last night?" Were the rather eloquent words Sakura spat out after her alarm clock had the nerve to go off at six in the morning.

It felt like she'd been trampled by a rhino, or had a round with a professional kick boxer.

"What the hell did I do last night?" She repeated once more, feistiness fleeing as her as eyes shuttered shut. The pain in her side was horrendous, and her head wasn't feeling much better. It took a lot of effort to extract herself from her bed and stumble down her apartment's narrow hallway to the bathroom.

The bright lighting of the bathroom had her squinting and clasping a hand over her too sensitive eyes. Slowly peeling back her fingers, she took a glance into the mirror in front of her, eyes widening in horror.

Blood, her clothes were covered in it. Although it had dried, it stained the cream colored blouse she'd worn to work the day before into a dark brown in the spots it touched, particularly at the collar and waist. The memory of the night before quickly assaulted her as she remembered coming home in a daze to wash her hands and face before promptly tumbling into bed to exhausted and shocked to do anything more.

Hunched over the sink, she got the feeling as though she were going to be sick. "Holy hell!" Sakura whined lowly as she was assaulted with the facts from the night before.

She couldn't believe what had happened the night before…it all seemed too crazy to believe. She didn't want to think about the girl she'd watched bleed out in that alley, nor the man who nearly killed her and she certainly didn't want to remember the guy who saved her life. "That guy…" Sakura whispered, looking at her own ashen face through the mirror. Her eyes were wide, and the fear she saw in them made her feel nauseous.

He had been anything but normal. 'His eyes.' She thought, feeling unsteady on her feet, as she slid to the floor, resting her back against the side of her tub. The color and odd formation were burned into her memory- reminding her of a pinwheel. The way that he'd appeared and moved had been unnatural.

'Unnatural? Oh do you think?' She asked herself sarcastically. 'He ate a person.' Sakura shook her head, teeth gnawing on her bottom lip and she cupped her hands over her mouth nervously. 'That can't be true though, because vampires…they don't exist.' But what else could he be?

"A lunatic." Sakura supplied, staring at the bright blue colored wall opposite of her. "Who just happens to think he's a vampire or something." He could have been wearing specialty contacts, and she could have been hallucinating from the blow to her head.

That was a perfectly logical deduction. An acceptable explanation she was more willing to believe in.

She should just be thankful that there were only two dead bodies, rather than three. As much as it pained her that she'd been unable to do anything for that girl, Sakura was just going to have to do her best to put it all behind her. "Alright then." She murmured, taking a deep breath as she pulled herself off the floor.

Rubbing her hands over her faces, and up through her hair-frowning when she discovered her usually silky locks to be stiff and brittle in places. 'Feels a bit like hairspray.' She thought, confusion deepening when her fingers came across a thin dash along the left side of her forehead. "Huh?" Sakura murmured, brow furrowing in thought. "That's new." The texture of it was slightly raised, like a scar. Feeling her chest tighten, she spared a long look in the mirror, leaning in closely to get a better look.

There was dried blood in her hair, undoubtedly her own. The mere sight reminded her of the searing pain she'd felt when her head was busted open the other night.

Sure enough, there was a pale pink line- a scar, a hardly noticeable one, but there nonetheless. "That's impossible." Sakura stated eyes widening as she prodded the spot with a forefinger. There was no pain, and as she puzzled over the incident an unbidden shiver ran down her spine.

The advanced stage of the wound was startling to say the least. If anything it should only be a scab, and most likely there should have been bruising all around the area.

But it wasn't and there was not, and it made her worry.

'It's the spot he was licking last night too.' She thought, feeling rather irrational as her cheeks heated. Or rather it was the spot he'd been most attentive to if she recalled correctly. "That doesn't mean anything." Sakura snapped, waving a hand wildly as if to dispel the thought. 'We're not going to think about this anymore.' She thought, a scowl crossing her face as she took a deep, pained breath.

Glancing at the small watch on her wrist, the time that blinked back at her told her if she wanted to make it to work on time; she'd better hurry things along. Content to lose herself in her morning routine, she pushed all thoughts of the night before out of her head.

An hour later she was dressed and ready to go, sparing a brief moment to mourn the loss of her favorite coat before she left, locking the door behind her.

Daytime in the city was always safest but after the events from the night before, she'd decided to stay out of alleys for a very long time. Exhaling deeply, she bundled her jacket closer, mourning the one she'd lost the night before. It'd been such a nice white before it'd been ruined.

"These birds are such pests!" A low voice called out from her left, drawing her attention as she passed by an alley way. Inside a few middle schoolers lagged around, surrounding a small hunched black figure, no bigger than a house cat.

It was clear to her that they were skipping school and up to no good to boot. "Hey!" Sakura snapped, stalking their way. "Shouldn't you guys be in class?" She asked, hands moving automatically to her hips. A stern expression settled itself over her face. The last thing she wanted was for those kids to end up getting hurt.

"You're not my mom!" One rather bratty boy with brown hair and long blue scarf declared loudly, arms crossing over his chest stubbornly. Behind him was a girl with ginger hair pulled into two pony tails and a boy with a perpetual runny nose looked up at her with wide eyes.

Recognizing the first as a tenant in her own apartment building-one she happened to know quite well, Sakura smiled, eyes glinting. "Oh, is that you Konohamaru?" She purred, leaning in close to the boy's face. "Guess you won't mind if I tell you mom what you've been up to hm? Or better yet, maybe Naruto? I hear the police force is cracking down on truancy lately. "She said, face somber as she began tapping a finger to her coral colored lips thoughtfully.

Thinking about the blond she'd known since youth, she wondered how he was doing. Lately, things had been so busy; she had hardly seen him at all.

Although Naruto himself had not exactly been the best in his youth, he aspired to become a police officer like his father before him. He was constantly at odds with others within his occupation however, because he was one of the few cops who could not be bought out or threatened.

He was one of the very few in the city who stood for the good of the people, and he had touched many people because of it, including the group in front of her. Konohamaru in particular had been taken in by the blonde, becoming a mentor of sorts.

Such as it was, it was no surprise for her to see him pale considerably, all the while Konohamaru shook his head. "What, no! I wasn't skipping anyways!" he scowled, gesturing to the black form that had been pacing back and forth between the three pairs of feet surrounding it. "I saw it almost get hit by some guy on a bike…so I tried chasing it out of the street. The stupid thing started flipping out though."

"A bird?" Sakura remarked quietly, studying the darkly colored creature its feathers were shadowy-like the color of ink, with a faint hint of cobalt to them. "A raven…or maybe…" the name she hesitated to say.

The thought caused her to shiver.

"I think it's a crow." Udon said at last, sniffling due to his ever runny nose. "You can tell a raven from a crow by the shape of their tails. Crows have rounded ones, ravens end in a point." He explained, blushing when three eyes turned to look at him curiously. "My dad's a bit of an ornithologist."

"Is that so?" Sakura asked, pushing her unease out of the way. There was no need to get worked up over an animal.

Konohamaru huffed and hiked his nose into the air proudly. "I was being a good citizen. You're a doctor right? Fix it." He demanded, motioning towards the bird. It's agitated squawking and pacing had paused. Instead it stared up at Sakura, sleek black eyes never faltering.

"I'm not a vet." Sakura scowled, bopping him upside the head with a closed fist. "Nor am I a servant who takes orders."

Reeling back quickly, he rubbed his head, already feeling a lump forming. 'I should have kept my mouth shut.' He whined, nursing his wound. Everybody who knew Sakura knew she could hit as well-if not better than any man.

"I may not be a vet, but I'll see what I can do." Sakura conceded reluctantly, pressing her lips together. The bird's unfaltering stare put her on edge.

They also knew she was one of the most compassionate people they'd ever meet, always willing to help.

Reaching into the messenger bag resting against her hip, she pulled out a small emergency first aid kit and riffled through it for a pair of latex gloves. There was no telling what was ailing the bird, and it would be wise to take precaution. 'It doesn't look sick though.' She noted, tugging the gloves up snugly.

As a matter of fact it looked very healthy- with plump, luminous feathers and sharp, intelligent eyes that studied everything intently. The only thing that seemed wrong was the way it held it seemed to avoid moving its left wing too much.

Settling on her knees as smoothly as possible, she stretched her fingers out tentatively, pausing before she came in contact with the sleek, lacquer black beak. When it seemed as though it was safe for her to proceed, she set the palm of her hand to its head stroking its crown. "Good birdie." She stated with a smile, pleased it hadn't tried to maul her.

"Oh wow." Moegi breathed in wonder, black eyes peering out from over Sakura's shoulder. "It's being really calm with you…it nearly tried to take Konohamaru's eyes out earlier." She explained.

Sakura shrugged, glancing behind her at the aforementioned boy. He was sulking. "I'm sure he's just a little worn out after everything." She said, sparing a smile. "It was nice of you to try to help him." Naruto would be pleased to hear about it.

"Yea well…" His cheeks were tinted a light pink. "Whatever. Is there anything wrong with him?"

Running her hands along its sides, she delicately tugged at the wing that she was guessing to be the problem. With a loud indignant squawk from the bird, it was opened rather slowly. "It doesn't seem broken." Sakura mused, running her fingers from the point it joined the body, to the very tip. "Perhaps someone was a little too vigorous with their aerodynamics?" She teased, tapping its beak.

It was probably a sprain, and if that were the case a few days of inactivity would be fine. So, she pulled a roll of gauze out and bound the wing to its body using just enough to keep it still, but little enough so that if it wanted to it would be able to remove the strip itself.

"Well, that's about all I can do." Sakura said giving the bird a brief pat. "You were better behaved than some of my patients." She stated gladly, eyes closing in a satisfied smile.

A clicking noise issued forth from the birds throat as it tilted its head back, feathers ruffling. "Well then, everyone time for you to be on our ways." Sakura declared, shooing them out of the alley as she stripped off her gloves. "You're late, and if I don't hurry I will be late." She explained.

"Will he be alright?" Moegi asked, glancing back at the bird.

"He should be." Sakura stated, giving the bird a brief glance over. It had moved away from the alley wall and closer to them. "I hope it's not thinking of following…" She said.

_"Itachi."_

The words had fluttered like wings, through the crow's beak- stilling her heart for the span of a second.

"W-what?" Sakura whispered, trying to fight the urge to run.

"It spoke!" Konohamaru cried, shock painted all over his face.

"That's actually pretty normal." Udon stated, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Crows are very smart, capable of saying human words, and remembering human faces." He explained, motioning with a hand towards the creature. "Probably spent a lot of time with humans…"

Moegi tugged on Sakura's sleeve. "Are you okay….?" She looked so pale, like all the blood had fled her face.

"Um…y-yea." Sakura stated, clearing her throat. "Let's go." She stated frantically ushering them out and onto the street. 'That bird…why would it say that name?' she thought, a shiver running down her spine. " I've got to run now guys, straight to school!" She ordered, walking backwards for a brief moment. "Got it?"

"Yea, yea." Konohamaru sighed, walking in the opposite direction. "Maybe it's someone's pet." He suggested to his companions, pace unhurried as he drifted further away.  
Sparing one last suspicious look towards the bird that she'd treated, Sakura took off running weaving her way through the throngs of people.

The crow left on its own watched after Sakura's departure, feathers ruffling in displeasure.

* * *

Shoving her bag into a locker, Sakura slammed it closed with a grateful sigh. She'd made it to work just in time. 'Maybe I really should look into getting a car…I mean I know paying back my loans is expensive and everything but I think it'd be worth it…' She'd have to consider adjusting her budget.

"No coffee with you this morning forehead?" Ino remarked, staring at her longtime friend's countenance. She seemed a little on edge, paler and more fidgety than usual.

"Good to see you too pig, I was a little busy." Sakura stated apologetically. "I'll treat you to lunch." She said, giving a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her thoughts were a mess. 'That damn bird…' she'd been so ready to ignore what happened the night before and doing so well until it showed up.

"Holding you to it." The nurse stated, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder. it was a habit she could never quit. "Everything okay?" she asked, a frown stitching her lips.

The question stilled Sakura's movement, her arms freezing just as she was pulling down her dark, wine colored scrub shirt. She was thankful for the black camisole she wore under it to hide the gnarly bruise she'd received.

If Ino had seen it things would have gone a lot worse.

Looking around quickly assured her that the room was nearly empty. 'If I tell her about last night…will she believe me?' probably not. So it was best to go with half-truths.

Ino Yamanaka was good at sensing lies, and saying nothing was wrong was not going to cut it.

"Actually…I might have seen something last night." She whispered quietly, drawing the other woman into a corner with her.

A grim look passed over Ino's pale blue eyes. "This city is just getting ridiculous…nobody knows you saw right?" She asked, thinking that the pink haired girl had simply been privy to some gangs' dirty dealings.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura began to formulate her story. "So last night, on my way home I heard some noises from an alley and went to take a look."

"Are you crazy?" Ino seethed as her eyes flashed dangerously, hands moving to her hips. "You could get yourself killed or worse getting all nosey like that!" Why did Sakura have to be such a good girl all the time? It only led her into more trouble.

Ignoring her, Sakura continued on. "There was a guy, and he was…." She hesitated for a second as the girls face floated through her mind. "He was well, raping her, and I got involved to try and stop it."

Explaining that was the easy part, what came next was more difficult to lie about. If she mentioned the murder, she'd have to go to the police, and then she'd have to tell them she met a vampire, and then she'd be locked away and then-'Get a hold of yourself!' Sakura took a deep breath, centering her thoughts. She would just leave all that out- she'd have to.

"So, I had him down, and was checking on her, when he got back up and threw me across the alley." Her hands were moving rapidly as she spoke, illustrating the story as she went.

"Uhuh." Ino said, eyeing her friends form in concern. It didn't look as though she'd been hurt.

"And then all of a sudden this guy shows up." She explained, biting on her bottom lip. "He saved me…' A blush came to her cheeks, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And uhm, that's it." She stated, wringing her hands together.

An absolutely salacious smile crept onto Ino's face. "Was he hot?" When the blush grew darker she had the answer she'd been looking for. "How hot?!" She squealed, stomping her feet in excitement. "Did you get his name?!" oh it was all too exciting! Sakura had all the luck, being rescued by some sexy guy late at night.

"Pig!" Sakura hissed, clenching her fists. 'I was attacked and you're more concerned his looks? Thanks for the concern…'

"What?! Your fine…right?" Ino asked, eyes running over the petite pink haired girls form slowly, all the while blinking her baby blue eyes. Nothing seemed out of miss as far as she could tell.

"Just shaken up…" Sakura mumbled quietly, green eyes studying the terracotta colored tiles beneath her shoes. "Anyways, we should clock in." she declared, posture straightening.

"So?" Ino asked, narrowing her eyes eagerly. Her lips had curled into a delicious grin.

An exasperated sigh flew out of Sakura's mouth. "Very, very hot." She stated looking into Ino's eyes she couldn't help the smirk that settled on her lips. "Like so hot if you threw water on him it would make steam." Hell, it would probably just evaporate at his mere presence, no contact required.

He really had been ungodly good looking. It just wasn't fair to the rest of the male population.

The blonde groaned, throwing her head back angrily. "How lucky." She wanted to be saved by a super-hot guy. "What he look like?" she demanded, using her identification badge to sign in.

"Dark hair, Dark eyes…" Sakura mumbled, sighing at the dirty look she received for being so descriptive. "He looked like a normal Asian person." At least when his eyes weren't all wonky and his mouth wasn't full of dangerous teeth and stuff. "What more can I say?" she huffed, swiping her card through the machine.

"So…you get a name?" Ino whined, holding onto the subject even as they were slipping into bustling corridor outside the changing room. "Please tell me you did not get saved by some awfully hot guy and let him go without getting his name?"

Gritting her teeth, Sakura ripped her clipboard off the spot it had been hung. "Uchiha Itachi." She stated simply, wondering why everything kept coming back to that guy. She hoped it stopped soon. "Now don't you have work to do? I know I do." She prodded, hoping Ino would get the hint.

"Uchiha…" Ino echoed, brows furrowing. "That name…sounds familiar." She spoke shaking her head. "Uh yea, work." She did not sound very thrilled at the topic. "So, lunch break at one, see you then."

"Uhuh." Sakura stated, watching the girl saunter away with relief. 'Now, what's first on the agenda?' she asked, checking through her papers.

She nearly leapt out of her skin, when she felt someone grasp her shoulder. "Oh!" she cried in dismay watching as her clipboard flew out of her hand and clattered across the floor.

"Jumpy today aren't we?" the man behind her laughed politely as he went to retrieve the fallen item. "Sorry to startle you Sakura-chan."

Heaving a sigh, she accepted the clipboard back gratefully. "Thank you Kabuto-san." To be honest, the man gave her the creeps despite the fact he was a respected and accomplished doctor. It was the way that he looked and treated people, like they were specimen in a petri dish.

"You're welcome." Kabuto stated, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, wily eyes never missing a thing. "I never noticed this before." He stated, cold finger trailing the scar on her temple.

A shudder ran down her spine, as her own fingers moved to brush over the blemish, knocking his hand away. "I usually cover it with foundation." She explained, never missing a beat.

"Ah, I see." He stated, nodding his head. "Well, anyways, I just wanted to let you know, my lab is always open if you'd like help on the paper you're writing. Viruses are a tricky subject, but the hypothesis is absolutely thrilling. Nice work."

An unbidden blush bloomed on her cheeks. Although she found him to be unsettling, the complement was welcome from a doctor as accomplished as him. "Thank you for the offer." It didn't mean she'd take him up on it.

"It's not a problem, I'd be happy to provide what assistance I can from one doctor to another." He said, nodding his head in farewell. "Have a nice day." And then he was gone with the swirl of his white coat and silver hair.

It was true that his help would be useful to the paper she was writing. 'He works with infectious diseases everyday…many of them viruses. The information I could get from him would be very valuable.' And his offer had been rather generous. Perhaps she had merely been misjudging him all along…

Taking him up on his offer wouldn't be so bad, would it? 'I suppose it's something to think about.' Sakura conceded, nibbling on her thumb as she went about doing her rounds. All thoughts of crows and mysterious men fled her mind as she set about her tasks.

In the end however, lunch time could not come quick enough. It was with great relief that Sakura found herself jaunting across the street from the hospital with Ino thirty minutes after one. 'So tired.' She bemoaned, grateful that the café they were headed to was just down the street and she could finally get some decent coffee.

Extra sweet, sugary vanilla flavored coffee with actual whipped cream on top. The thought filled her with anticipation and had her mouthwatering.

"In a hurry much?" Ino huffed, jogging to catch up with her pink haired companion.

"Yes!" Sakura bit back a groan. Not only did she really want that coffee, but she was damn near close to ravenous.

The little café they were headed to had a European theme to it, with coffee's, pastries, and hot sandwiches. Compared to the rest of the gaudy shops and stores it seemed to sort of fade into obscurity except to the few who had tasted its wares.

It was a great relief to slip in to the warm, homey atmosphere of the little bistro. She'd made the trip in her scrubs and the white coat, which did very little to ward off the chill.

Ino ordered first, citing she was on a diet and therefore bought only a salad and a nonfat latte, much to Sakura's Chagrin.

"We aren't all natural little sticks." The blonde accused with a smirk. She might not have the same waist line as Sakura, but she had the better bust and she never let the pink haired girl forget it.

"Whatever pig. At least mine won't be as saggy as yours will in a few years." Sakura sniffed indignantly all the while cradling her vanilla cappuccino. 'There is nothing wrong with B-cups. It's a decent size damn it.'

"Saggy? Hah, not a chance in hell." The blonde huffed, flicking her hair in agitation. There was no way something like that was going to happen to her. Not with all the work she put into looking like she did. With that, she picked up the tray with the rest of their food on it, and wandered off in search of a table.

Breathing a sigh, Sakura took a sip of her warm drink, her face slipping into a look of complete contentment. In that Zen like state, she trailed after her blonde friend, hardly paying any attention as she went.

It shouldn't have been surprising that she would have bumped into someone after allowing her senses to take leave so easily. "S-sorry!" She stated, wincing as her tongue was stung by the hot drink.

From the parted folds of his charcoal gray trench coat, she could see that the sleek black suit the man wore fit him perfectly, as though it'd been tailored to his form. It clung to his physique, giving a hint to the sturdy, yet slender musculature that lay beneath it. The only point of color in his attire was the deep, blueberry hued tie he wore.

Glancing at the person in front of her, she had to take a few steps back to see their face due to their difference in height. 'Oh my god.' She thought in complete mortification, as her face flushed red.

Sakura had totally _not_ been eyeing _him _of all people up. There was no way. "_Y-You_." She hissed, pointing a finger at him in recognition. "Why are you here?" She cut straight to the point, voice quiet at the moment. There was no need to cause a disturbance and get sent off to the Looney bin after all.

A brief glance outside the window confirmed that the sun was indeed shinning, which left her completely puzzled and terribly worried. Folklore said Vampire's couldn't go out into sunlight. 'So was I wrong…?' she questioned, biting her bottom lip worriedly.

A single eye brow was raised at her vehemence. "Greetings and salutations to you as well." Itachi replied eyes roving over her form curiously. Without even meaning to, she'd somehow ended up right where he wanted her too.

A little earlier than expected, but welcome nonetheless…

Unfortunately she wasn't as thrilled to see him as he was her.

"Are you following me?" Sakura seethed- green eyes narrowing as her body inched away.

"Hnn." Itachi deigned to responded, black eyes peering at her from lowered lashes.

Not knowing what to make of his ambiguous response caused a tick mark to form on her temple, all the while she stared back warily, because the look he was giving her seemed…troublesome.

Little did she know the real threat was creeping up behind her the whole time.

"Oh? What a cute girl you found Itachi." Someone purred- and Sakura could not help the tiny, mouse like squeak that issued forth from her mouth when she felt an arm sling over her shoulder.

'Where did this one come from?' She thought, eyes tearing away from Itachi to stare at the newcomer.

Taller and sturdier built than the slender man in front of her, this one's hair was cut short and unlike Itachi's silky straight hair his was wavy. Still, the resemblance was there. 'They look related.' She thought, eyeing his arm like a cornered animal. If she had to, she'd chew it off to get away. 'Also, the way he spoke so familiarly with that guy…Itachi.' Sakura reminded herself.

"Shisui." Itachi acknowledged, lip curving just slightly. The look on Sakura's face spoke volumes as she watched his older cousin's arm. He might have to have a talk with the older man about being too…personal.

'Wait…what if they're both…'She blanched at the mere thought, and quickly wrenched herself away as the gears in her head began turning, searching for any relative information. Recalling something at least mildly useful, Sakura turned to the cashier who'd been eyeing the whole encounter with thinly veiled amusement. "Do you have any garlic!?" she was nearing desperation.

Shisui nearly choked on his own spit at that, his eyes flying up to meet his cousins. The two of them, having known one another so long had a certain degree of understanding of the other beyond words, and it was by the look in Itachi's eyes that he knew the answer he'd been seeking. 'So she knows, but she obviously doesn't know much.' He mused, biting back a chuckle.

No wonder the poor thing was so jumpy. She was half expecting to be devoured at any second.

Although Shisui knew Itachi better than most, sometimes even he couldn't understand where the man was coming from. To his own family, his cousin could be quite the enigma, despite that Shisui knew that like himself, Itachi didn't like needlessly hurting others- after all he'd taught him that way of thinking himself.

Itachi for his part in the whole debacle, felt a little mortified that she thought a common culinary ingredient would repel him.

The cashier, a little startled at the strange request hesitated before quickly shaking her head. "N-no. Sorry ma'm."

"Sakura!" A rather irate Ino shouted out, from the table she'd selected, not caring at all that her screaming might be bothering the other patrons.

In her whole life, Sakura had never felt so happy to see Yamanaka Ino's annoyed face. The blond huffed, cutting a path to her friend's side. "What are you fooling around for? " One minute the petite girl was walking along behind her and the next poof! She was gone.

Not to mention the absolutely adoring look the pink haired girl was giving her was freaking her out. 'Now that I think of it...' Ino thought, brow certainly not wrinkling. 'She looks a little nervous.'

"Ino! Sorry to keep you waiting, we should go. Now." Sakura stated, ready to dart to the blond's side, hoping to distract her from the two men.

It didn't work. As soon as Ino caught sight of the pictures of perfection the men in front of her made, she stilled- all animosity gone. If their hotness were literal, the room would be on _fire_. "Well hello~." She greeted, the syllables long and drawn out as she positively sashayed her way to Sakura's side. "Do you two know Sakura?" she asked, tipping her head to the side.

The way Sakura was looking at them seemed rather antsy, and more importantly Ino was supposed to know all the people Sakura knew. Something was a little off and she couldn't put her finger on it.

"We have met very recently." Itachi admitted bowing his head politely, making a note to remind himself to once in a while allow himself to be badgered into going places with Shisui. After all they sometimes led to worth will results.

'Dark hair and dark eyes….hot-really hot…'Ino thought, blue eyes widening. "Oh, don't tell me you're the guy from the other night! She told me you saved her." She chattered happily, nudging Sakura with her elbow, as she leaned in to whisper a "Boy you weren't kidding when you said he was good looking."

The smirk that twisted Itachi's face was enough to let her know he'd heard it. Turning a bright red, Sakura resisted the urge to throw her cooling coffee to the floor in a tantrum. 'I just can't win today!' She realized with morbid fascination. It seemed like everything was working against her.

It made her want to crawl in a hole and disappear. Things were not boding well for her, and the look in Itachi's eyes only seemed to be growing more intense.

"Did she now?" Itachi intoned, tipping his head to the side. Thinly veiled amusement smoldered in his black eyes, his gaze catching Shisui's momentarily. A silent conversation lasting only seconds took place, and a plan was hatched.

Moving, Shisui seemed to trip over his own feet, pitching forward the iced coffee he'd been sipping slipped and spilled all over the pale lavender of the scrubs Ino was wearing.

"Cold!" Ino squealed, reeling back as she surveyed the damage. "Damn it!" she had half a mind to start screaming that the man. She'd been all ready to bombard her friends savior with all sorts of questions and now she was soaking wet.

Not wasting any time, Shisui righted himself, grasping her hand. "I'm so sorry…uh, miss…?"

"Yamanaka Ino." The blonde stated, vexation filling every syllable. Even his pretty smile could do nothing to calm her.

"Ino-san, I'm so sorry for being so clumsy." The muscular man stated, broad shoulders slumping in shame. "Listen, there is uniform shop right down the street from here…I'll buy you a new outfit to replace this one right now." He held up a hand to cut off any possible protestations. "It's only right, I insist."

Ino was no match for the dazzling smile he gave her. "Alright." The blonde agreed, after all the uniform shop he was talking about was expensive, and she needed the clothes. The coffee was everywhere. 'At least it wasn't hot though.'

"Great! We'll be back soon then." Shisui laughed, hooking her arm within his as he marched towards the door. "See you guys in a bit-don't do anything I wouldn't little cousin." He murmured the last part quietly.

Sakura could only stare in absolute shock, everything had happened so quickly. It's when her gaze connects with Itachi's triumphant eyes that she realizes what happened right in front of her.

It was a well versed predatory maneuver that had just been carried out against her; divide and conquer.

Just like animals in the wild, where one is singled out and parted from the rest of the group to make it vulnerable to attack, she and Ino were split to make an easier target for whatever he had planned.

* * *

Late post is Late.

The results for this story have been phenomenal! Fifteen reviews in one chapter? Fantastic! I always judge whether a story is doing well or not by if they have at least 10 review a chapter, so to get 15 I nearly died and went to heaven.

Thank you all so much, and keep it coming

Hmm…I wonder whatever was up with that mysterious crow Sakura encountered earlier…?

Well, I suppose all good things must wait.

Anyways, this should have been up like three days ago…I blame the TV, and Assassins creed. But as an apology, I give you this Preview of something I'm considering continuing, it's also total and complete crack. So don't take it too seriously.

I'd also like to do one with a reverse, in which Itachi's the cat-boy… To say the least, I've got lots more Itasaku stories on the horizon…it seems I've been bitten by a bug. Nor sure if it's a good- or a bad thing.

* * *

**PAWSABILITY: Zero.**

"Kunoichi, Explain." The words left no room for argument as Itachi pinched one white, furry cat ear between his thumb and forefinger. Rather curious, he stroked the soft white fuzz with his thumb and felt the rumble of her purr vibrate through her whole form.

Despite the fact that she was currently being held in the grasp of an S-class criminal that was purported to be insane and highly dangerous, not to mention the older brother of her wayward revenge seeking ex-teammate Sakura couldn't help the jolt of sheer pleasure that wracked her form.

It had her tail _and _her toes curling.

Her new appendages were apparently very sensitive.

"Don't do that!" Sakura's bright green eyes fluttered shut as a moan echoed from her lips. Highly mortified she was thankful he was pressed up against her back, although with his advantage in height he probably could still see her blushing face easily.

Sakura was going to kill the damn cat that bit her. She was going to ring out every last one of its nine lives when she found the cursed thing. All she did was save the blasted little rascals life and then it bitt her and turned her into a cat eared, cat tailed freak. 'Just goes to show you that no good deed goes unpunished.' She thought miserably.

The feeling of his fingers trailing along her spine had her arching into the palm of his hand eagerly.

Not many people knew this, and by that he meant only he knew because everyone else who did was dead by his own hand-but Uchiha Itachi had a weakness for cute things, and unfortunately the pink haired girl in front of him was absolutely adorable.

So sweet he wanted to steal her away.

His brother really was rather foolish.


	3. Questions and Literary References

A/N: I apologize for mistakes in advance.

* * *

**Carnal**

By **Tsuki Hoshino**

_Every clarification breeds new questions_  
-Arthur Bloch

* * *

'We were just herded like cattle…' Sakura thought once more, completely astonished and well aware that she was gaping like a fish out of water. In what universe did something like that actually happen?

'In what universe do people drink blood? And eyes turn red?' Her subconscious scolded. 'Your universe, so get fucking used to It.'

Standing there awkwardly, Sakura looked around as if asking for confirmation in what she had just witnessed only to receive none. The cashier on the other hand was watching the situation and making her own conclusions which if she had been privy to Sakura would have vehemently denied.

'Alright so things are a little weird…no reason to panic we're in a public place so it should be safe!' She chided. "You…just what are you up too?" she really worried for Ino's safety and wondered how the other girl could be so foolish. 'Whatever happened to stranger danger?'

He had the nerve to come off looking oddly innocent as he ignored her inquiry. "Something the matter?" Itachi asked, arching a brow. "You're looking rather pale."

Furthering herself from him micro inch by inch didn't seem to be working because the further she moved he followed and then doubled his steps coming much closer than he had been before until their chests were nearly touching. His close proximity had her stomach flopping. 'In fear!' Sakura made sure to distinctly label the feeling as such.

Itachi's long fingers caressed the shiny plastic of the hospital name tag pinned to the breast pocket of her scrubs. "You work in the hospital down the street...interesting." Itachi remarked to himself, as he studied her face. "You are rather young to be a doctor…" She couldn't be very far into her twenties.

"…" Sakura swallowed heavily, eyes avoiding him as she took in the situation. 'Oh way to go; now he knows where you work, why don't you just invite him back to your place for dinner. Hell, why not just offer your neck up right this second!' She howled to herself feeling the urge to stomp her feet.

She chose not to comment any more than necessary on his remarks about the hospital. He knew where she worked, but not what department. Things weren't all that bad…

Steeling herself, Sakura straightened her back and brushed away his fingers from where they had been lingering. "You do realize there is something called personal space, right?" She quipped all the while pushing away her distress. Remaining calm was always key in situation's with predators, they could smell it and she absolutely was not going to let him get the best of her. "And age has nothing to do with skill." She stated in short order; the hand that was not defensively holding onto her drink perched on her hip.

"Hnn."

Her eyes turned to thin slivers at his grunted response.

"Secondly, I know what you just did so don't try anything else funny Uchiha-san. If something happens to Ino don't think you'll get away with it, and Stop. Stalking. Me. " Sakura demanded punctuating each word with the jabbing of a finger into his chest condemningly a she bowed her back away from him. For someone who seemed of Japanese ancestry he was uncommonly tall especially given that she was only a few inches over five feet.

The whole situation was horribly unfair in her opinion.

All too aware of the odd feeling that had washed over her the night before upon looking into his eyes had her staring stubbornly at his lips…which turned out to be a bad idea because she ended up admiring them more then she should have and as a result noting how deep his voice was when it flowed through them.

"Let me assure you, your friend will be perfectly fine…Shisui will take good care of her." It wasn't a lie or an overstatement. Shisui may have been an incorrigible flirt but he was also incredibly kindhearted for one of their nature, perhaps more so than even himself. "As for stalking you…I wasn't aware that I was."

The awkward position had her wincing when it strained the bruise lining her side.

Seeing the pained flinch span her face Itachi pulled away and placed a hand on the small of her back gently. "Come sit." He stated, guiding her through the room.

The absolutely pitiful look Sakura sent towards the cashier seemed to be brushed aside and by the dreamy expression the worker was making, Sakura had the disturbing feeling that she was completely misunderstanding the situation.

'How lucky,' The cashier thought with a melancholic sigh, dropping her chin into her hand. 'That guys so gentlemanly, look he's even pulling her chair out for her!' Not to mention how handsome he was. Some girls had all the luck! 'Especially one as odd as her...' The worker mused, turning lazy eyes towards the next patron.

The spot that Sakura's friend had picked out was easy to find and rather opportune considering it was at the very back of the café. The table was pressed against the wall with a window right above it. The sunlight filtering in from it hardly bordered anything he considered to be uncomfortable but it made the area rather warm. "Sit." Itachi directed, nodding his head towards the chair as he pulled it out.

Scowling at him Sakura hesitated to concede to his request. 'More like an order.' She groused, but upon realizing that her mulish behavior was doing her no favors she gave a sigh and took the seat. "Alright, what do you want?" This time she took the risk of looking him in the eyes.

"Just your company." Came the amicable response as he sloughed his coat off and dropped it into the chair opposite of her.

Sakura was well aware she was looking at him with thinly veiled mistrust. "How can you not be worried I won't run off screaming about last night?"

"You haven't gone to the police yet and if you did who would believe you?" Itachi pointed out softly, glancing at her through thick, black lashes as he grasped her face with care. "It's a rather fantastical story don't you think? Given everything you've seen…or think you saw." He remarked, brushing the hair out of her face.

"…" She honestly couldn't refute his statement. Going to the police was more complicated than it should have been for a number of reasons. With how unethical the current department was there was hardly a chance anything would be done and if she went to Naruto or any of her other personal connections within the department it could cause trouble for them.

The situation was honestly like navigating a mine field, especially when one added on the fact that he was what she was assuming to be a vampire. If she waltzed into a police station and pitched that story no matter who it was they probably wouldn't take her seriously.

Realizing that he had alluded to something out of the ordinary she grasped onto the comment. "And what exactly do you think I saw?" Sakura wondered, studying his face intently only to find nothing.

He had one hell of a poker face and it left her scowling in displeasure, which for some reason seemed to amused him because he made a quick, quiet noise that sounded a like a short laugh. 'Unreadable bastard…' She thought, taping her fingers against her thigh in agitation.

The feeling of his fingers brushing over her face and along her hair line caused her stomach to flutter. "It seems to have healed nicely."

The blush that crawled over bridge of her nose and high cheek bones was not lost on him. "Your ears are turning pink." He said it in such a factual way, it was more like he was discussing the weather rather than intimately brushing his thumb over the petite shell of her ear.

"Hey!" Sakura snapped jerking her face away even as it turned a darker shade. "What did I say about personal space?" She seethed, eyes flashing up at him dangerously. Her hands fisted the cloth of her scrub pants in her determination not to cause too big of a scene. She'd never been one to put up well with overly forward men and she'd been handling herself exceptionally well so far but if he kept going probable supernatural being or not she was going to punch him.

Or try to.

Although he could Sensing her rising ire he couldn't resist prodding her just a bit more.

"I believe I recall you asking if I had heard about it." The direct statement frazzled her nerves even further because she knew he was simply choosing to ignore the meaning of her words for his own gain. "Which I have. But I also seem to recollect you kissing me the other night."

Gaping at him openly with complete horror Sakura shook her head wildly as she turned the bright red color of the tomatoes his brother favored so well. "I did not!" She exclaimed voice turning pitchy, abandoning all sense of discreetness.

Her sharp cry was garnering quite a bit of attention from everyone else, but they were of little consequence to the fetching sight before him.

"Oh? Have you forgotten? I suppose your head was hit rather hard then…" Itachi pressed a thumb to her bottom lip as his sly eyes caught hers. "Perhaps I should refresh your memory?" The acceleration of her pulse sent a warm thrill through him.

"Uhm…No…that's really unnecessary." Sakura's breathe paused when she saw the way his eyelashes hung heavily over his eyes. Even in the depths of his black eyes, no matter how dark they were, and they were indeed very dark, she could see something sweltering peering back at her. Her suddenly nervous tongue swiped over her lips but she made no move to look away from his eyes.

As a doctor, Sakura could testify that in reality there was no such thing as a person with black eyes. The color in fact did not exist; it simply looked that way because the color- generally brown was very, very dark.

Apparently she, and by extension the world was wrong. Differentiating the pupil of his eye from the iris was next to impossible and she couldn't help was stare in awe even as she felt the brush of his nose against hers as his lips pressed against her jaw before sliding up to the corner of her mouth.

"I think it went something like that." Itachi murmured warm breath ghosting over her flesh when he spoke while lingering close to her for a moment. "You don't seem convinced…perhaps you need another reminder?" He began to lean forward again only to be hindered by the press of her fingers against his lips.

"Unnecessary!" Sakura cried, her eyes which had nearly shuttered shut during his little expedition snapped open wide.

"You…" Sakura started at a loss for words all the while ignoring the way the feeling of his lips clung to her skin like a brand even after he had pulled away. "You've got some nerve!" Sakura hissed, slamming the palms of her hands on the table when at last the shock fled her system.

The distinctly smug aura he was exuding infuriated her. Scowling she whipped her head away to gaze out the window. 'I still don't remember that happening.' She mused pursing her lips. 'Maybe I shouldn't have gone to sleep with a concussion…'

The look of relief that sprawled over her face when he finally stopped hovering over her and took a seat was charming, he nearly laughed when her shoulder slumped and the sigh gusted out of her lips like someone who had just been told that they weren't going to die anytime soon.

'I suppose I should disarm her…' Itachi mused, reaching across the table to grasp her wrist. "You have questions, don't you?" He remarked, turning the delicate limb over to view the underside of it. "And I have a proposition for you…"His fingers traced the pale blue veins that showed through her milky skin, the pressure barely there in ghost like charm.

The sudden caressing left her mouth dry and had her heart thrumming nervously once more. She was sure he could feel it through the limb he was currently studying intently.

'This is just ridiculous!' Sakura thought biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Proposition huh?" she asked more to herself.

It was true that he wasn't exactly holding her hostage and that if she wanted to she could stand up and walk away, but Sakura got the feeling that if she even bothered trying he'd either do the same thing he had last night with his weird eyes, or he'd just follow her and she figured that it just wasn't worth the effort.

So sitting rather awkwardly across from her darkly clothed companion, Sakura couldn't help but dart her eyes out the window repeatedly wondering if maybe she should at least take the risk of making a break for it.

"You seem rather...Distracted." Itachi intoned, gazing at her with knowing eyes.

"Just wondering why you don't…you know… sparkle." Sakura mumbled, glancing at him with a challenge in her eyes. She was digging for information.

A thinly veiled look of annoyance crossed his face, as he replied. "Twilight jokes? Immature." The books had caused more trouble than he could count, between propagating falsities and all the disillusioned young women in the world it churned out. He couldn't count the times now that when his teeth sunk into the neck of a woman she suddenly thought they'd go ridding of into the sunset as his skin sparkled.

Needless to say that it hadn't happened yet and _wouldn't_. The sun was an annoyance that he could tolerate more and more as the years passed, but he still took to wearing sunscreen excluding the particularly overcast days of the year.

"It was pretty bad." Sakura admitted with a cringe. She'd been forced to sit through the movie with Ino, and the dubbed voices had nearly caused her to fall on the floor laughing. The book hadn't been much better. It was so over the top dramatic, and the main character so ungodly pathetic she hadn't gotten though the first book let alone the second. "Did you read it?"

The movie Fright Night had been much more entertaining.

"Regrettably." Shisui had read it first, and he had complained incessantly for Itachi to do so as well. Curiosity was something even Itachi couldn't avoid try as he might and he had instantly regretted reading it afterwards. It had been good for a laugh at first, but when it grew to become popular it simply became tedious.

The fact that she seemed so resistant to his presence only served to further the thoughts he was developing. He was used to woman following his every move and falling down at his feet without any provocation and to be honest it could be more of a hindrance then an asset at times. The innate intelligence that he possessed could and was said to be a blessing and was often looked at with envy but what many failed to realize was that it like everything else also came with its own set of difficulties.

For one, once he got an idea it was very difficult to dissuade him from following through with it.

The anxious expression she cast him prompted him to give her what he considered to be words of comfort. "I told you before. Don't be foolish." He chided gently, refusing to pull his hand away. "I won't bite…" He seemed to find enjoyment in uttering those three words, because she could see the twitch ticking at the corner of his lips.

"Much." Sakura amended for him under her breath, but he heard it nonetheless.

"You don't trust me." It was a simple fact that spilled from his lips, and they both knew it. Perhaps a part of him was dismayed and it showed too easily in his eyes.

Or maybe he wanted her to see it and if that were the case his ploy worked perfectly because remorse took hold of her, flooding her too soft heart. "Sorry," Sakura murmured fidgeting for a moment as her mouth opened and then shut several times before she could find the words she wanted to say. "Last night…was weird." She stated quietly, dropping her eyes down to study the table.

The sharp smell of fear that had clouded her scent since she caught sight of him was finally beginning to soften.

"It's understandable." Itachi seemed soothed by her words, the contralto of his voice calming what little that remained of her ire as though he were pouring water over the last vestiges of a fire. The chinks in her stubborn armor were slowly peeling back to reveal glimpses of the many other facets of her personality.

"So…will you answer my questions then?" Sakura wondered daring a glance at his face, her own eyes wrought with curiosity. It was the affliction of many a creature, always wanting to know more, always wanting to go further and she was not immune to it.

"With a condition." He stipulated, slowly retracting her hand.

"And pray tell, what exactly is the condition?" Sakura wondered looking at him skeptically as she finally set about picking up her sandwich and unwrapping it. The hunger pains that attacked her stomach had finally battered her down.

"You answer whatever questions I have, and I will return the favor."

"In other words, quid pro quo…isn't that a little too Silence of the Lambs?" Sakura remarked more so to herself as she set about propping her chin into her hand. Although the more she thought about it the easier she could see the man adjacent from her as a Hannibal Lector like figure.

"The book or the film?" Itachi asked noting the way her Japanese accent hardly slurred any of the L's into R's, and her knowledge of the film gave him the indication she'd spend quite a bit of time practicing, or had lived outside of Japan for a time.

"Does that question count? Because I expect an answer to my own question first." Sakura threw back, the right corner of her lips curling into something vaguely mischievous until she saw the heated look he was giving her.

He's more than pleased by the fire she's displayed both the night before and today. The way she went from one extreme to the other reminded him of a flickering flame that came back all the stronger for its faltering. This time his smirk stayed in place as he gave the woman infront of him his full attention.

Sakura was smart enough to know something had changed in their situation and she could not name what it was but she knew it was her own fault and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what she'd done to cause it.

'What did I just do…?' Sakura pondered to herself, eyes widening as the feeling of being more confused than before filled her. With nervous hands she busied herself with another bite of her sandwich, looking at him with wide eyes. The sunlight filtering in through the window looked odd on him, as though he was simply out of place sitting there across from her.

"What was your question?" He mused, knowing all too well what the first one would be. He relented nevertheless because there was nothing for him to lose in this little game. He could only gain.

The green of her eyes suddenly became predatory like a house-cat who finally caught sight of the canary its owner had let loose. "What are you?"

It would be so easy to twist her words, but he doesn't. "You've already identified me." Itachi said, gazing at her levelly as though the words that followed held no magnitude. "But if what you're seeking is confirmation then- yes. I am what you call a vampire." Or rather something similar to it.

"Oh," Sakura stated simply. "Okay then." Her eyes blinked at him owlishly, as though she had not been expecting his answer. She was silent for a short moment, nibbling on the edge of her sandwich as she stared out the window. 'Still…the sun is out…' She thought dazed by the conflicting information.

With dark amusement, she acknowledged that her earlier thoughts on him being rather like Hannibal were completely founded considering he ate people.

"Both." Sakura answered the question he had posed after recovering herself. She had surely suspected what he was, but she had held the view with an honest grain of salt still hoping that perhaps she'd been completely out of her mind at that point in time and she was going stark raving mad.  
It was at first a relief to know otherwise.

"I read the book and saw the movie. It's a classic." Sakura said, ignoring the faintness creeping on her in favor of taking a sip of her caffeinated drink.

"Did you spend much time out of Japan?"

The question startled her like the first few moments of a shower when the water came out too cold and there was nowhere to turn away from it. There was no way for him to have known she hadn't lived on the island nation her whole life.

"What makes you think that I did?" She asked, feeling her defenses rise.

"You spoke English quite well." Itachi pointed out, gesturing to her with the lazy sway of his hand. "Also you're knowledge on a western book and movie. It's not a hard assumption to make." If one knew what they were looking for.

"…I spent a few years in the United States." Sakura admitted, lowering her gaze to study the table top, fingers plucking at the plastic tab of her coffee cup. The four that she had spent there had not been favorable and she didn't care to revisit them at this time.

Her actions told him to go no further into the subject for the moment but the story that lingered behind her words and actions called out for him to uncover. He'd always been rather nosy a child. It came with the curiosity that drove his acumen. 'Or perhaps it's the other way around…' Itachi pondered not for the first time. Sometimes it felt as though his Intelligence brought him more trouble than what it solved.

"The girl from last night…" Sakura began, her gaze turning solemn. "What happened to her?" She hoped that the next of kin would at least be able to find out what happened to her, she deserved that much.

Once more the weight of her ineptness threatened to choke her, and she tightened her grip on the coffee cup, hands suddenly feeling cold.

As a doctor, she had long ago accepted that she couldn't save everyone, but it never stopped her from trying and it never stopped her from aching when she failed.

"Two bodies were found in Sumida River this morning." Itachi commented, studying the reaction the crumb of information he freely gave provoked "It was on the news, the police have promised to look into it."

"I'm sure they will." Sakura spat the words, staring out the window once more. It wasn't him that she was upset with, but the situation in general it was unfair and there was nothing that could be done about it. "Even if they did give a damn it wouldn't do anything. No one's ever going to know what that guy did, and even if they did the majority of them wouldn't care." the righteous anger she felt seemed to wane.

Itachi tilted his head, eyes softening as he took in her forlorn expression "You're very compassionate." He noted, wondering if she knew how dangerous such a trait could be, particularly in such a hardened city. 'Although I suppose not much of her is fit for this place.' That much was unmistakable.

"Compassion doesn't get one very far." Sakura disparaged, propping her cheek against her fist with a sigh." You saw for yourself…I was nearly killed the other night because I decided to stick my nose in something dangerous, and in the end nothing good came of it."

"Was I not compassionate when I saved you?" He rebuked with the smooth wave of his hand, the slant of his eyes sharper than before. 'I would say that something good came of it…' One who had lived as long as him learned not to dwell on what could not be changed. It was regretful that he'd arrived too late for the other girl to be saved, but such was life.

If he dwelled over every life he'd been unable to save he wouldn't be capable of functioning on any level. Living as his kind did was difficult when one was too tenderhearted, a lesson he in his youth had learned fairly quickly. Starving himself had done neither him nor anyone else any good, so he'd learned what sort of people, or rather garbage to target and he learned to take what he could without killing.

All things he had Shisui to thank for.

It was unfortunate that the rest of his family was not so kindly, but he did his best to make up for their arrogance when coming across situations much like he had the night before. It was a pity he hadn't come across them sooner but he couldn't

Sakura on the other hand was alive, with a beating heart that was made to bleed all too easily. That in itself was both a blessing and curse that he wasn't above using to his advantage if it suited him, because despite what differences he may have with his family, he also shared unfortunate similarities with them.

Feeling properly chastised, Sakura lowered her eyes. "Ah, no…" She sighed once more. "I should be more grateful, shouldn't I…?" To be honest, looking back on her behavior towards him she felt rather ashamed. He'd saved her and in her own ignorance and fear she'd treated him badly.

That was not how her parents had raised her; it was not how she wanted to behave either. So she apologized. "I'm very sorry, please forgive me…it was very kind of you to save me," Sakura mumbled bowing her head low only to have it tilted up when Itachi reached across the table and grasped her chin. "T-thank you?" She sputtered, cutting off from her tangent.

"Personally…I prefer your thank you from the night before." Itachi purred, eyes skimming across her lips. "But this one…is acceptable."

Face flushed, Sakura jerked her head away. His constant insistence on touching her and getting into her personal bubble made her uncomfortable and irritable. There were very few men in her life who she allowed to be so personable with her and a grateful as she was to him, Itachi was a stranger.

With his good looks, preternatural background and…

'Dare I say it…' Sakura groused, shooting the man sitting across from her a sour look.

Intriguing personality…he was prime playboy material, which sent warning bells off in her more than his apparent vampirism did. Then there was the way he seemed completely unconcerned with revealing his nature to her. Something was fishy about the whole thing.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question now." Sakura declared, crossing her arms. "Earlier today, I had a run in with a crow…The funny thing about it was that as I was leaving it called your name. So what was that all about?" She asked, fixing him with what she hope was an intimidating gaze.

"Crow…" Itachi looked surprised for a split second, before the look was tempered and washed away. "Yatagarasu." He was a man who did not believe in coincidences, and the fact that his little friend, he hesitated to call the bird a pet, because he was so much more than that- had run into Sakura and called his name was fascinating.

"It didn't have three legs." Sakura disagreed, brows furrowing. 'What does a mythological crow have to do with anything.'

"It's what I named him." Itachi corrected, looking thoughtful. "I had been wondering where he'd gone off too." He hadn't shown up to steal bits of his breakfast yesterday nor that morning which was an odd occurrence in itself. The bird was never far from him nor was the murder far from the crow.

They'd been suspiciously absent the last few days however.

Feeling amused that he had given the bird such an auspicious name, Sakura snorted and offered her own explanation. "It seemed like his wing was damaged." Sakura explained, careful not to mention how close the bird had been to her home. "Still…why would he say your name to me?" It had scared her more than she would like to admit, considering she had never known crows were capable of human speech to begin with.

"He probably knew that we had met." Although she had clearly taken a shower the night before, some marks could not be washed away by soap and water. A flash of something black caught his eye through the window and he nodded discreetly.

"…I can tell you where I last saw him if you're worried." Sakura offered hesitantly, the bird had been in an alley way a little down the street so there was no harm done as far as she was concerned.

Although he was more than sure that Yatagarasu could care for himself and would return when ready, he _was _curious about the bird's little encounter. "That would be most helpful." Itachi continued to think the implications of everything over.

"Do you have any paper?" Sakura wondered, looking around as she unclipped a pen from her breast pocket. "For the address..." She explained at his questioning look.

"It's unnecessary." Itachi refrained from looking too amused. "I'll remember it easily."

"Uh-huh…" Sakura stated, slightly dubious and well aware that her lack of belief showed plainly. Street addresses in the city were notoriously complicated but she rattled the number and block off without much more distress, throwing in a description of the surrounding shops for good measure.

Not for the first time she acknowledged how weird her current situation was, and all the questions that plagued her. There were a million and one things that she could ask, but at the moment she was feeling a little to overwhelmed to even bother.

The weirdness of it all was finally setting in on her and she really just wanted to go and sit on her nice couch at home and process everything. 'Except I have wor-' Her eyes grew in size as realization settled over her, a quick glance at her watch told her everything she needed to know. "Oh shit!" Sakura shrieked, standing abruptly as she frantically gathered the trash from the table. "I have to get back to work, where the hell's Ino?"

"They walked by a few moments ago." Itachi intoned his voice nonchalant as he stood. "On their way to the hospital themselves from what I could gather." He clarified when aimed with her incredulous look.

"w-why didn't you say something?!" Sakura howled, stomping her foot as she picked up the tray and walked away to throw it out. 'That guy….' She thought in frustration. She really just didn't know _what _to make of him. Rushing through the doors she was once again accosted by the cold air and bit back a violent shiver. "Damn it Ino…" That woman was going to get an earful.

"_Sakura_."

She should have balked at the lack suffix but given the oddity of the day so far it hardly seemed to matter; still she found herself turning swiftly to glance at Itachi, who was holding out his coat expectantly.

"Take it. I'll walk you back." It was a statement, followed by him placing the coat over her shoulders, hands lingering there for a moment before sliding down and off her arms.

Even through the layers of her clothing and his, she swore she could feel the warmth of his skin. "That's really not necessary..." Although she was grateful for the shield against the cold, she didn't need to be shadowed in the middle of the afternoon. Not only that but his actions were garnering all sorts of unwanted attention.

At that thought Sakura glared at the nosey women peering out through the café's window like a bunch of carp, wide eyed and gape mouthed. 'If Ino were here she'd throw a fit at how difficult I'm being…' She thought with a sigh.

For that matter, why was she being so difficult? So far, he'd been rather kind- maybe a little touchy and entirely enigmatic but given some of the people that she knew that wasn't such a big deal the more she thought about it.

Between Naruto and his boisterous, optimistic, knuckle-headed nature, Kakashi's creepy giggling while he read porn and flaked off combined with Sai's complete social retardation...If she had to pick the most normal of her close social relations it would be Ino or maybe Yamato, except for his obsession with bonsai trees. On second thought, Itachi fit right in with the sort of people she seemed to attract.

'He makes me nervous.' Sakura admitted to herself. For more reasons than one.

He was the representation that the monster under the bed was real, and if he existed what else could?

That question would haunt her until she found some answers, and she didn't even want to think about the other reasons.

Deciding to relent out of pure weariness, Sakura accepted the coat and therefore his presence as she made her way down the street towards the hospital. "So…The sun?" She asked, glancing up to her companion only to find him placing on a pair a sunglasses.

"Hn...As you can see we don't spontaneously combust." Itachi stated, straightening one of his cuffs as he spoke before glancing up at the brightly colored orb hanging in the sky. "Unless of course one is exceptionally weak or young. I saw the sun for the first time when I was four. " it had been an unprecedented occurrence and terrified his mother when she saw her first born sun standing out in the middle of the courtyard on a cloudless summer day.

Of course there was also the third most distasteful option; A degenerate who had not taken the change very well.

"Four?" Sakura murmured, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Four years after you were changed you mean."

"No." Itachi corrected. "Some of us, like Shisui and myself are born and others are made." He explained. "And for the record, garlic is not effective." The smirk he gave her brought red to her cheeks. 'Now Sakura…aren't you wondering by now why I'm being so forthcoming?' He knew she had to be, he could see it blazing in her eyes.

"Oh." Well that was awfully embarrassing. "Interesting…" Sakura admitted quietly, tapping a finger to her lip. If all that were true she wondered if there was a difference between a so called vampire's genes compared to a regular human's. It could make for interesting research. The question that had been nagging at her for some time now popped out of her mouth without prompting. "What exactly are you getting at by being so…_Informative_?"

She was not convinced that he had no ulterior motives of his own at hand. It didn't make any sense for him to go around giving off information like he had- not without expecting something in return. 'Not only that but I don't think it's exactly normal for his kind to go around announcing their presence like he did last night.' If that were the case they wouldn't be referred to as myths, or urban legends.

"Excellent question..." Itachi trailed off his eyes obscured by the sunglasses gracing his face as he came to a stop in front of the hospital's automated doors a few steps ahead of her. They didn't open, as if they could not recognize his existence. "But, I'm afraid that you've run out of credit."

'Weird.' Sakura mused, wondering if the doors had glitched momentarily. "Credit?"

"Correct. To explain further you've asked quite a few questions, eight- nine If we want to count the last one. Currently I've asked two." Itachi elaborated holding up the appropriate amount of fingers to illustrate his fact. "Until the playing field has been leveled, no more answers will come from me."

"You were counting?" Was what came to mind first. "Now wait, that sounds suspiciously like..." He was going to be showing up again which she wasn't sure how to feel about that little tidbit at all.

"Your friend made it back safe and sound, just as I said." The words distracted her briefly, preventing her from going any further into her tirade at the moment as he began motioning towards the frantically waving woman who was sporting a new pair of dark plum scrubs. Shisui was suspiciously missing.

Sighing at his change of subject, Sakura shrugged off the coat and held it out to him. Ino was already getting the wrong idea just like everyone else. "Thanks for everything, I appreciate it." She honestly did, even if she had been a little freaked out at first.

'Still freaked out.' She admitted. 'Just not as much as before.' It was honestly just a lot to take in, realizing that the world wasn't exactly as she'd pictured it before.

"Keep it for now." Itachi suggested, stepping away. "As a replacement for last night's incident…and Sakura, I trust that you'll apply a doctors confidentiality over all that we've discussed so far." It was not a request.

"For now?" Sakura latched onto his words nervously watching the way his eyes seemed to gleam.

"Aa." Then he poked her in the forehead gently, turning away "Till next time _Sa-Ku-Ra_." Itachi purred, glancing at her from over his shoulder as he raised a hand lazily in farewell. "I'll do the asking next time we meet." his words hung heavily in the air as he disappeared into throng of people rushing along the sidewalks in mad scrambles to reach their own destinations.

The tone of his voice and context of his words had halted her brain functioning for a moment and by the time she'd gathered her "Hey wait! It's Haruno to...you." he was already out of sight.

'Oh boy.' Sakura thought, turning slowly to face Ino's hungry gaze. 'I'm not sure what worries me more at the moment, Ino or seeing that guy again...'

Probably Ino judging by the unrelenting gaze the blonde was staring at her with. Still, she had her own questions that needed to be answered so she set forth, pulling the blonde into the elevator with her as she went. "Ino...nothing strange happened while you were with that guy, right?" Sakura asked getting down to business as soon as the doors dinged shut.

Arching a brow, the blonde answered easily. "Unless you think a guy actually having a taste in fashion then nope." she studied the shorter girl briefly. "Since when did you get so paranoid?" Sakura had always been the trusting one out of the two of them, often needing her to come to the rescue. It was off for her to be so suspicious.

"Its not paranoia!" Sakura defended quickly. "Its just...oh well its nothing actually." She mumbled at last. What could she say without coming off crazy or possibly getting killed? not to mention Itachi had distinctly hinted for her to keep her mouth shut.

"Soo...get a date?" Ino asked with a quick catcall as she stroked the material of Sakura's newly gained coat. "This looks custom made...and expensive." she said, grinning. "How chivalrous."

Purposefully ignoring her longtime friends delving into her nonexistent love life Sakura shrugged. "Chivalrous? Maybe..." or maybe just manipulative, or a mix of both.

"I would like to say I can't believe you let that hottie go without hooking up with him, but that would be a lie." Ino said with a mournful sigh. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura...what am I gonna do with you?"

"Spare me a lecture?" The rosette asked hopefully.

"Nice try." Ino snorted, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Soo, while I was with Shisui-san I got a call from Kiba, next weekend at AgeHa everyone is meeting up."

"I didn't get a call from Naruto..." Sakura frowned, reaching into her pocket only to find that it was off.

"You are notoriously bad when it comes to phones." Ino sighed shaking her head once more. "So again, this weekend I'll come over and we'll get ready and go together."

To be honest, clubs like AgeHa weren't really here scene. They were loud, obnoxious and filled with creeps who hit on girls who had to much to drink and more often then not fights broke out and a huge mess usually ended up occurring and she really did not want to be there when it did. On the other hand she was aware of how difficult it was to get everyone gathered in one place for a night. It happened maybe once every few months so not going wasn't an option. "Alright." Sakura sighed, watching as the doors opened slowly before stepping out on her floor quickly.

"Wait!" Ino cried, keeping the door from closing. "So how did things with that guy go?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura glanced back briefly. "Well, I'm not dead, so pretty damn good."

It wasn't really a joke but Ino seemed to think it was because she snorted and allowed the elevator to close without another word.

It was by the end of her shift that Sakura finally decided a trip to the library was most definitely called for.

* * *

Thank you everyone for your support so far. I really appreciate it!

Ugh. Itachi just took shiz over and decided to do whatever he wanted. The good news is that this chapter is mostly Itasaku interaction in which Itachi gives her little crumbs to make her hunger for the whole cake.

The bad news is that it was probably boring. The next one is sure to be more…interesting.

I wonder what Shisui and Ino talked about…Well, I guess that's something we'll have to hear about later, ne?

Be sure to review it feeds me, and if you don't love and feed me I'll die and starve.

That's abuse you know. Don't abuse authors, all they want to do is be loved and love you in return.


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